


Flaws

by gutterfortunecookie



Category: Crimson Peak (2015)
Genre: Angst, Children, Discipline, Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:14:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6328693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gutterfortunecookie/pseuds/gutterfortunecookie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>So from all his small infractions, from my mother's cane, I protected him...</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flaws

**Author's Note:**

> I did not write this piece for entertainment but as a way to speak from experience. That is all I will say...

 

Lucille lifted her head, glad that she was old enough to no longer stand on her toes to see herself in the mirror. She cleaned the edge of her nose and smiled to the smudges of the day that was finally gone. If she was to be a young lady soon, then she would take the necessary precautions. She knew she was growing and she would be the lady her mother would want her to be.

She blew out her lantern in the washroom and headed to her room as she heard the quick smaller footsteps of Thomas. They were faster this time, meaning something was wrong. He ran around the corner as he stopped just in time in front of his sister. She knew from the smell and the tears in his eyes.

Thomas had been sick for the past day and could barely get from his bed. He was young and trying to rid his habit of wetting his sheets. Lucille dreaded that when their mother knew, she would discipline him with her cane until he cried for Lucille.

“Where is mother?”

“Thomas Sharpe!”

They jumped at the sound of their mother’s voice as she took his hand and fled for the back staircases. Things never ended well but Lucille always tried to protect Thomas the best she could. She pulled Thomas behind her to hide him away from his mother until she fell asleep. Their mother was an older woman and the few times she was able to save Thomas, their mother would always find them the next day, exhausted and shamed of her blood related children. Sadly, there were nights such as tonight when their mother was filled with enough rage to catch up to them.

Lucille felt Thomas’ hand slip out of hers as she was pushed roughly to the floor. Their mother pulled herself and her son to a nearby chair as she pulled the young boy over her lap and pulled the wet gown over his naked back as she brought down her cane on his bottom. Thomas cried out as he tried to fight off his mother but it was no use as she continued to strike her small son.

Lucille shot to her feet as she saw her brother’s flawless skin grow redder with each caning. Red filled her blue eyes as she sprinted forward and ran for her mother. She, herself, looked up and swung her cane back as Lucille was struck in the face. She screamed in pain, pressing her palm to her sticky forehead as a trickle of blood ran from her crown down to her face.

“You’re next, you little bitch.”

Before her mother could raise her cane, Lucille raced to the chair and flipped it with all her might as her mother and Thomas were sent tumbling to the floor. Their mother hit her head on a nearby table. Lucille pulled a crying Thomas to his feet and shielded him from his mother’s glare.

“You are the Devil, the both of you.”

“Touch him again and I will kill you.”

Lucille hadn’t realized how grown up she sounded.

“I’ll make sure you don’t sit for the next week.”

Their mother moaned in pain as she tried to stand. Lucille took Thomas’ hand and ran for the stairs and never looked back. Both children ran as high as they could until they were trapped in the attic. Thomas shrank in fear behind Lucille as gave her mother a defiant eye.

Her mother stood up straight and fixed her hair as she eyed her children like meat.

“You disgust me. You want to live like animals? So be it.”

She reached for the doorknob and slammed the door shut as a turning key echoed the attic. Lucille stood tall as she waited for the footsteps to disappear. She sighed as tears ran down her face, wetting the dried blood on her nightgown. She turned at the sound of Thomas crying as he tried to hold on to his sister.

“Shh, she’s gone now. Come here.”

She led him to an old couch that was stored in the attic as she pushed Thomas to the cushions face first. She lifted the edge of his nightshirt, seeing striped bruises already covering his backside as she tried not to lose her anger in front of Thomas. He had had enough for one night. She pulled back her hair and ran to the window to outside.

She was greeted with a gust of cold wind as she collected a bit of snow from the roof and returned to her brother.

“Try to stay still.”

She gradually placed the snow on Thomas as fresh tears appeared in his eyes. It pained her to see him like this. He bit back his cries as much as he could as he buried his face into his arm.

“It was an accident, Lucille. I swear! I tried to make it to the toilet.”

“I know you did, you were only sick. You couldn’t help it,” she comforted him as she smoothed back his hair.

“Mother said she would punish me if I didn’t make it and I was so scared. She knew and she was there.”

“She isn’t here now, Thomas and she will never touch you again. I promise you.”

Lucille pressed some snow on her face to wash away the blood. Her fingers found the tender spot as she tried not to get too close.

“Did it hurt,” asked Thomas as he wiped his nose.

“I’ll be alright, go to sleep.”

“What if she comes back?”

“She’ll be visiting town tomorrow. She won’t give a care about us. Just sleep for me.”

She reached behind her for the chest of unused linens and stripped the drying urine smelling shirt from Thomas, wrapping him to perfection form the cold and the musky couch. Lucille’s head throbbed as she placed her brother’s head on her lap. Her fingers slowly brushed back the black curls as his darling blue eyes began to drift shut.

“What happens if I have to go again?”

“I’ll pick out a vase for you, a small one.”

Thomas shook his head and fell asleep as Lucille tried to stay awake. She looked to the locked door, feeling at peace for the first time in a while. They hadn’t seen their father in so long and the only time they saw their mother was when she would scold them for the tiniest of flaws. The staff cared more for them than family ever did. She looked to the window and smiled. The roof was a bit weak but Lucille knew she would have to stay near the edge to be safe. She swallowed her fear and stayed with Thomas as long as she could.

With Thomas finally asleep, she walked to the window and looked out to the snow and lifted it to the top. She climbed out and slowly made her way to the side hallway window leading to the attic. She prayed with all her might as she pushed her hands up on the glass. It slowly lifted as she laughed and crawled into the house as it fell silent. The wind howled as it rocked the outer walls of the house. The staff was asleep by this time of night and she was free to move about.

She went to hers and Thomas’ room, getting a few things to occupy themselves. She placed them at the door and turned one final time for the kitchen and for hell. She stole bread and a cup for themselves. This act of defiance was the most they had seen their mother angry. It was safe to say that the amount of bread would be enough for her and Thomas for the next few days. After that, she would have to chance as she stopped in front of her father’s office.

Her mother kept a set of her father’s house keys at the waist of her dress and Lucille didn’t want to enter her mother’s bedroom and end up getting caught. Her mother always left her spare keys floating around the office across from the bedroom. Lucille ventured in without any light as she felt her way around. She took her time, fighting fatigue as she nearly rounded the room, finding the spare under a stack of papers. She held as many of the keys together as she could and pulled them free as the books and papers came tumbling down next to her.

She ran from the room and clutched all of her stolen items in her hand, fleeing up the stairs at the last possible second as her mother emerged from her bedroom with a candlestick.

“Who is there,” she growled to the darkness.

Lucille cried as she stuck to the shadows, moving cautiously up the stairs until she reached the attic.

She worked as quickly as she could and fumbled with the keys. The creak of the stairs terrified her as she found the correct key and unlocked the door. She moved their things into the attic and slowly pulled the keys out of the lock, closing the door gently behind her as she quickly locked the door.

She was steadfast as a light grew, emitting through the keyhole. She leaned forward and looked to her mother’s nightgown inches from the door. Lucille moved away from the keyhole in time as her mother stooped down and looked inside to the dark attic. Lucille covered her mouth with her hands as she dared not make a sound.

She heard her mother huff her breath and spat at the door.

“Good riddance…”

There was a shuffle of feet as Lucille watched their mother descend the stairs and wonder back to her room. She gasped for breath as she grabbed their things and hid them at the back of the attic for a safe measure. She returned to the couch to Thomas as she joined him, wrapping a second thicker curtain as she wrapped her arms around him.

She pulled him close and kissed his forehead tenderly.

“Don’t worry, Thomas. You are perfect and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

She closed her eyes and fell asleep with her brother as safe as she could make him.

 


End file.
